Could Microsoft introduce an Intel Core m3-based Surface Go, after all?
Windows 10
When rumors about Microsoft's Surface Go first surfaced last May, I'd heard from my contacts that the device would ship with an Intel Core m3 processor. That didn't end up happening. But according to a recent benchmark on Geekbench, Microsoft might be readying a new model Surface Go with a faster processor.
The Surface Go -- Microsoft's tablet for students, first-line workers, and others wanting a small, thin and light device -- ships with a Pentium Gold CPU. But a Geekbench benchmark from April 2019 first noticed by Windows Latest raises the possibility that there could be a Surface Go with a dual-core Intel Core m3 processor.
When Microsoft rolled out the Surface Go in July 2018, the 10-inch, 1.15-pound tablet came in a couple of different configurations. There was Windows 10 Home in S Mode variant upgradable for free to Windows 10 Home which started at $399 (without a keyboard). And there was a Go With Windows 10 Pro for business users. The Geekbench benchmark was for a device running Windows 10 Pro.
Microsoft's fall Surface hardware launch is just around the corner. On October 2, the company is expected to introduce several new Surface devices, including an AMD-based Surface Laptop; an ARM-based Surface two-in-one; and an updated (with USB-C) Intel-based Surface Pro, sources have said.
I haven't heard any rumors about a refreshed Surface Go being part of this October 2 launch. But Microsoft does sometimes add new models of its Surface devices to its lineup with little fanfare. If the company does end up giving the Surface Go a processor upgrade, I could see Microsoft going the quiet route.
I've asked Microsoft to comment on the possibility of a Core m-based Surface Go. No word back yet. Update: "We don't comment on our product roadmap," a spokesperson said.